


Tip of My Tongue

by wasp



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Community college!AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-04-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 06:50:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasp/pseuds/wasp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's just that - Liam's smiling at Louis just as hard, like he feels it too, like the sight of Louis is enough to make his eyes light up and go all happy like that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tip of My Tongue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shrdmdnssftw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrdmdnssftw/gifts).



> set in [narry community college!au](http://archiveofourown.org/works/723004) \- HAAAAAPPY BDAY!! this is like a week late and i'm sry but u know i am terrible w/ dates and time in general :**

It's snowing outside and Louis almost fell four times already (it's not that he doesn't _understand_ the concept of appropriate weather footwear, he just chooses to ignore it most of the time) and he's not all that thrilled about making his way out of the main building. He's drowning beneath his three jumpers and the puffy jacket he managed to throw on top of that. He doesn't think he could lift his arms up if he wanted to, his arms feel like packed sausages, and he's still freezing. 

Still, Louis walks out of the doorway, cringing all the while, and forces his feet forward anyway. He shoves his hands deep into the pocket of his jacket and tries to burrow his nose underneath the zip, shying away from the cold. There's almost nobody else in the car park because it's too fucking cold to be outside for more than five seconds at a time and Louis' a goddamn saint for braving it. 

He has to walk all the way down to the end because Liam likes to reserve all the good parking spots for the older staff who might apparently slip on ice if they park too far away and isn't it just _dandy_ how Louis had to go ahead and fall in - fall in _like_ \- with someone as ridiculous as that. Most of the time he wants to slap some sense into him (with his mouth) (all over his body). 

Louis is quite intimate with what Liam's car looks like by now, he briefly entertained the thought of scratching his key through the paint but Harry had just shrugged when he asked if it was a good idea which basically meant it _wasn't_ a good idea to take revenge on people for being an idiot and going ahead and kissing people just like that. 

Louis leans down, crouching slightly so he can look into the passenger seat of Liam's car. He knocks on the window, his fingers squeezed into a tight fist to try and retain some heat. Louis doesn't have control over his facial muscles, apparently, when it comes to Liam because he's smiling widely like a _twat_ when Liam's head snaps up and this look of alarm passes on his face for just a second. His shoulders ease down from his ears and he shoots Louis an answering grin, quickly capping his highlighter and shoving his lesson planner onto the dashboard of his car. He leans over and opens the door for Louis without hesitation. 

"Hey," Liam says softly over the sounds of Louis getting in the car and making himself comfortable. 

Louis shuts the door behind him, scooting forward and raising his hands towards the heater. The warmth is coming from the heater and not Liam, most probably. Louis can't seem to stop smiling like a giddy child and he's afraid he's coming off a bit serial killer-y. He wants to touch mouths with Liam and hopefully other body parts as well (and, okay, _yes_ , he maybe wants to touch feelings too, god Harry shut up) and they're never going to get to that stage if Louis' coming off like he wants to skin Liam alive. He schools his face into something resembling normal and it lasts for all of half a second when he turns his head, leaning back against the headrest, to look at Liam in the face.

It's just that - Liam's smiling at Louis just as hard, like he feels it too, like the sight of Louis is enough to make his eyes light up and go all happy like that. And Louis doesn't want to mistake this for something it isn't, he deserves better than that, he knows he does but he thinks he'd take whatever Liam gave him and he feels pathetic and angry at himself. And stupid enough to hope it _is_. It's so easy to believe it is when Liam's looking at him like that, when words were never enough for Louis.

Liam reaches over suddenly and Louis tries not to act all surprised about it because it might stop him in his tracks and he doesn't want that at all. He keeps still, watching Liam openly now that he's otherwise occupied. Liam just picks at the snowflakes melting in his air, melts it between his fingertips and gently shakes the rest out of his hair.

"You're going to catch a cold," Liam says belatedly, withdrawing his hand in surprise as if it had a mind of its own. 

He doesn't lean back though, instead he gets this determined look on his face. It's similar to the one he gets before he starts class, like he's gearing himself up to do what he really wants to do, to stop second-guessing himself and trust. He leans even closer and brushes the rest of the snow off the shoulder of Louis' puffy jacket.

"My balls are frozen fucking stiff," Louis says, because this is how he _copes_. He rubs his hands together, glancing up at Liam when he laughs out loud. It feels like Louis' had just hot chocolate and it's resting nicely in his belly.

He's feeling so warm already, there's heat creeping up his neck and settling around his ears and he thinks his face is pretty pink by now. He shrugs out of his puffy jacket, shoves it underneath his feet. Liam's only wearing a jumper and a cardigan with the heater on, Louis feels more matched up now.

"You should keep yourself warmer, Lou," Liam says.

"The heater in the library broke and Niall and Harry won't let me into their pillow fort because apparently they can't handle the smell of my feet in closed quaters," Louis says, rolling his eyes. He wears socks in winter, it's ridiculous to go sockless when it's _snowing outside_. He knows the real reason though, even if Niall and Harry don't yet, so he's going to let them be.

"Did you want to borrow a jacket?" Liam asks, leaning over the gap between their seats to start rummaging around the backseat of his car.

It just brings him closer to Louis and Louis doesn't shift back, bites down at his bottom lip instead because Liam smells so good and he's all warmed up from sitting around in his car during his lunch hour, going over his lesson like a goddamn _idiot_. Louis doesn't know why it makes him want to curl up and die but it does. 

"Nah, I think I'm good," Louis says, gesturing towards how much clothes he's already taken to wearing. 

Liam gives up on finding his jacket and settles back into his seat. He looks down hesitantly at his hands, twisting his fingers together, and quickly glimpses up. He opens his mouth, "You-"

"It's okay, Liam, I get it," Louis says, nodding seriously. He's had time to think about this too. "At college you're a teacher and I'm a student, I'm not going to jump you in the middle of class. Did you want to avoid each other completely while we're here?"

"What? _No_! That wasn't what I was going to say at all," Liam says hurriedly, leaning forward again. He stops fidgeting with his hands and scoots forward, cups his big hands over Louis' pinked cheeks. "You still look so cold."

Louis has to duck his head, tilting his face into one of his warm palms even if his cheeks feel warm enough. He just needs a moment to change his face into something less obvious. When Louis lifts his head, Liam's still smiling at him, all soft and fond and he rubs his thumb along the top of his cheekbones gently. 

"And we'll take it slow since this is all new for you," Louis says, mostly to himself. His thoughts are all disjointed because Liam's touching him and it's hard enough not to think of what Liam's hands are capable of when he's standing rows of desks away from him.

"Slow," Liam repeats, almost as if it's just too himself and let's his hands fall on his own lap.

Louis surges forward before he knows what he's doing, forgets what he just said about keeping this strictly under wraps at least while they were in college because Liam makes a sound in the back of his throat like he's _grateful_ for this and his hands are steadying against him. Liam's arms are as strong as they _look_ because he's hauling Louis into his lap, fingers digging into his hips and Louis can't move fast enough.

They've kissed before. The first time when Louis was talking and Liam cut him off mid-conversation about his sisters, in the almost deserted coffee shop, his hand gentle on his jaw and his lips chapped and so warm. It felt like ages, just _one_ brief kiss, until Liam leaned back the tiniest bit, his eyes huge and and scared and he looked so _upset_ \- the butterflies in his stomach all dropped dead and Louis wanted to hurl instead. Then again when Liam walked Louis home after the museum not-date and he darted forward as if he'd been amping himself up for this the whole walk and managed to miss his cheek when Louis startled, just a quick press of his lips against Louis and then a stammered goodbye. They've kissed after the Big Conversation, where Liam tripped over his words and stalled before looking Louis straight in the eye and asking properly, but it was soft, sweet - in public. 

This. _This_ is completely different. Liam's car is wedged in between two others and it's snowing again, there's still almost nobody in the car park. Louis' straddling Liam, pressed flushed up against him, there's so little _space_ and at least one part of his body's hurting at all times but Liam's mouth is so eager and _hot_ against his and he feels completely surrounded by Liam. Liam's hands slip underneath the jumper only to be met with two other jumpers and he breathes out a laugh against Louis' lips, like he's completely in disbelief of the situation itself right now, the fact that he gets to kiss Louis like this and Louis can't help smiling along, kissing his cheek and he feels warm everywhere, cocooned in Liam's happiness. 

"Shit, ow," Louis says, reaching behind him with a hand. "The fucking steering wheel," he says and tries to scoot forward. He ends up rocking his hips against Liam's, very accidental, and shudders all along his spine, his toes curling in his shoes. 

Liam gathers him closer and his hands leave Louis for just a second, groping around for the lever to push his seat back. His mouth goes slack and Louis can't stop his hips, chasing after the friction and the hitches in Liam's breathing. The seat suddenly drops backwards and Louis lands against him with a surprised exhale of breathe. They're laughing again but it's quiet, smothered against each other's skin, and doesn't last too long.

Louis' working on the buttons of Liam's cardigan, popping the buttons out the best he can while lying on top of him. Liam's doing better, he's managed to undo the top three buttons of Louis' top but he gets distracted. He mouths at his exposed neck, pressing swift kisses against the column of his throat and nosing his way against the sensitive skin to take a moment to _breathe_. He tugs at the collar, trying to get more of the warmth but his hands change trek halfway and wander down to grip at Louis' arse again. 

"Slow," Louis repeats, rocking slowly against Liam. 

"Slow," Liam says after him, his voice so quiet, and it's like the sound of blood rushing in his ears dims so it's just Liam's shaky breathes against his.

Liam tries to strain forward to kiss him again and Louis leans down again. They make out like that for a while, just Liam's hands thumbing at the skin of his jawline, his palm skimming against the warm skin at the small of his back underneath his jumper, fingertips along the waistband of his trousers. There's a loud honk down the car park that makes Louis pull away in surprise, sitting up like a meerkat. Liam follows, straining up to see around Louis. He tries to peer out the foggy windows to see if it was directed at them. By then their lips are all swollen and slick and Louis wishes they weren't doing this in the front fucking seat because his foot has gone dead and he doesn't think he can walk out of here with any dignity even if he wasn't as _hard_ as Liam's last stupid test. 

"Oh god, oh shit," Liam says in alarm, his head thunking back against his seat. 

Louis turns back to him in worry, ready to actually punch him in the face if he's going to tell him this was a bad idea _again._ He was actually going to punch him in his stupidly pretty mouth if that was the case. Liam doesn't let go of Louis' waist though, keeping his other hand firmly in his back pocket, biting down on his bottom lip and grinning up at Louis. And he just looks so good all ruffled and flushed on his back. Even while he was being stupidly insecure for the last time, if Louis couldn't think of this situation with a 100% less clothes, he wouldn't be Louis Tomlinson .

"What?" Louis tries to ask tentatively, suspicious, but the answering smile's blooming on his face before he knows it. 

"Class starts in two minutes," Liam says, freeing his hands to slide them down Louis' thighs straddling his waist. He rubs up and down, like he's trying to warm him up, like they _hadn't_ been warming up this whole time. 

"Okay, okay," Louis says, leaning up on his knees to peck him on the mouth just once. Liam tilts his head up for more though so Louis obliges easily and kisses the corner of his mouth too and then the other side when it lifts into a smile. Louis climbs off his lap and onto the passenger seat, banging his knee on the dashboard and wincing. Liam reaches over as if he's going to rub at it for him and Louis shies away quickly, they have to get out of this car some day and it's never going to happen if Liam keeps touching him. 

"I'll see you in class," Louis says and opens the door on his side. He pulls his jacket back on, shivering hard in the sudden cold. He leans back in before he closes the door and Liam's already waiting for him, another quick kiss, and he finally shuts the door behind him. 

He runs across the car park and almost falls on his arse on the slippery ground but he can't stop smiling either way. He knows he's being stupidly obvious or Harry's just observant when it comes to these things, but he reaches over and fixes Louis' collar for him and smiles just as big.


End file.
